How to Break Loose Bolts of Rear Differential

This article will explain how to break loose the bolts on a rear differential cover. When changing your rear differential fluid, this will be the next step after removing the fill plug.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Catch pan
• Socket wrench
• Sockets
• Rubber mallet

How to Break Loose Bolts of Rear Differential

1. Make sure you have a catch pan placed under your rear differential and that you have removed the fill plug.

2. Loosen each bolt around the cover a few turns, but do not yet remove them.

3. Begin removing each bolt from the rear differential cover starting with the bottom bolt, . Leave at least one top bolt in place to keep the cover from falling off into your catch pan.

4. Use the rubber mallet to carefully tap around the bottom edge of the cover. This will allow the differential fluid to begin to drain.

5. Remove the remaining bolts in the differential cover after the fluid has drained.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure to hold onto the cover while removing the last bolt so it doesn't fall into your catch pan and splash fluid all over.

[Halahblue]

on 8/5/2008 In order to be clear, I couldn't include every single what-if about breaking bolts loose. That would be multiple different eHows. How to break loose rusted bolts, how to remove bolts that are broken...etc.

Maybe you could write some of them or maybe I will.

[GermanWrench]

on 7/7/2008 You never mentioned HOW to break the bolts loose!!!!
How about a diff that lived in the snow belt for years???, anyone can use an impact wrench...how about the bolts that BREAK, really rusted solid??? be real, your article is worthless, even for someone with little mechanical aptitude which in that case will never even attempt to change the oil on the rear end!!!!